stone greenhouse???

John Seaver

Posts: 18

posted 5 years ago

Howdy All!
Heres what I want to do, and I would love to hear thoughts and advice.... I want to build a stone/log greenhouse that is either half underground or burmed on the north wall. Why stone and log? Because they are free and on my property, I know it is probably the most labor intensive method but it will be very cheap! I am wondering if I can build a dry stacked stone wall, similar to the foundation of my farmhouse as a retaining wall underground. Then lay a log along the length of the top as a header and more logs as rafters, I was thinking to fasten them together timberlock screws would work? I will be using pine. This will be a passive solar design with a rocket stove I have already incorporated into the interior so I would love thoughts on how to improve, thoughts, wisdom from experience etc... Look forward to all your insights! If you have any videos or links that would be great too!!

R Scott

Posts: 3349

Location: Kansas Zone 6a

32

posted 5 years ago

Build the "retaining wall" strong enough for how tall it is holding back the berm and it will work well. I know I have seen and OLD greenhouse built that way on the net somewhere, probably England, that was still in operation after nearly a hundred years.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
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David Miller

Posts: 286

Location: Harrisonburg, VA

2

posted 5 years ago

-Passive heating via "skeeter cold sink" technology

Brenda Groth

pollinator

Posts: 4434

Location: North Central Michigan

10

posted 5 years ago

stone is an excellent heat reatainer..so it should be quite useful in the walls..

my tiny greenhouse has a floor of soil so I plant right in the soil..and it works out really well for me

not sure about the logs, might want to season them well first as they might shrink or twist

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

Here's a partially underground one that a guy I know in New Zealand built.

Nick Garbarino

Posts: 239

Location: west central Florida

posted 5 years ago

I see a lot of water on the floor in the photo above, possibly seeping in from the outside, and/or just from watering the plants inside. It's likely to be loaded with nutrients, and could be used by pumping it out with a portable sump pump for plants outside the green house. That way, you wouldn't have to rain boots to walk around inside the green house. Or even better, design a passive drain system leading out to a planting outside.